Lessons learned
by catseye 3
Summary: All his life Shawn alaways learned lessons the hard way


When Shawn Spencer was three years old his dad taught him a new game. He was told to play outside the house for a while, and when he was allowed back in, his dad would lead him to his bedroom. "Some of your toys are missing", Henry would explain. "Can you tell me which ones?" Little Shawn would walk around the room looking. After playing the game a few times he could tell if the teddy bear was gone from his bed and if the truck was gone from the shelf. He didn't understand why dad hid his toys but learned to play the game. Soon his dad had him find them hidden in the house using "clues " like a cabinet door slightly ajar or a chair moved back a little. He liked their game and thought his dad should have a chance to play. One morning whle dad was eating breakfast before work, Shawn tiptoed into his room and looked around for something good to hide. He saw the blue uniform on the bed and the shiny thing pinned to it. Carefully he removed it,only sticking himself two times. He carried it down the hall to the perfect hiding place. In the bathroom was the the big potty which he had only recently become acquainted with. No one would think of looking down there. He placed the shiny thing in and flushed. As he want back up the hall he heard his dad's voice screaming "Shawn"! He went to the bedroom ans smiled "Whats missing Dad"?

"You know very well what's missing" His dad yelled Give me back my badge." "Right now " his voice getting lower "

" But dad you have to play the game." The little boy smiled up at him.

"Tell me where it is or face the consequences.'

Shawn didn't know what that that meant but it sounded like a scary thing to face. He led his dad down the hall to the bathroom and pointed to the toilet. Henry"s face turned beet red. As he was trying to plunge the toilet, his son perched on the edge of the tub, asked "Why are you so mad, its just a game."

Henry continued his plunging and tried to explain. "I need that badge when I work. It helps me tell people I' m a cop".

"Can' t you just tell them."

" No" Henry as he put his entire arm into the toilet and felt around. "If you have a badge, they know you're a real cop just by looking at it."

The lesson Shawn learned that day is if you don't have a badge your're not a real cop and you could play any game you wanted.

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When Shawn was six he was sitting in the principle's office at school. His dad had been called. And he couldn't understand why. All he had done was pass a math test. He had gotten every one right. He had never done that good before." "How is it possible that you got a 100 on this test when you have never come close to this before"? The principal said with an angry tone in his voice."How do you explain that she gave you a different version of the test after class and you got only half?" "How did you cheat."? Shawn squirmed in his chair. "I didn't cheat, I swear." The principal, Mr. Barnes, frowned at him, then rose to greet his dad, coming through the door. Mr. Barnes told his dad thehe story, and when Shawn tried to object. He was told to sit down and be quiet, two very diffcult things for him to attempt. Henry sat on the chair beside and gave him a serious look." Tell the man the truth, son." Shawn looked at the floor. "I saw the teachers answer sheet on her desk on her desk, but only for a few seconds I swear. And than I then when I did the test I remembered what I saw."

"That's impossible," Mr Barnes said as he shook his head, "You're a liar as as a cheat.. You get an F on the test." Tears began to form in the boy's eyes as his dad shook the princpals hand. " I'll see to it he will be punished at home as well." Shawn followed his dad out the door out the door and to the car. "Did you really only see that paper for only a few seconds"? Henry asked. Shawn shook his head silently.. His dad looked impressed for a second and then said. "Don't ever try to pass a test like that again.The lesson Shawn learned was that no believes the truth, so keep your secrets to yourself.

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When Shawn was twelve he and his dad were walking through the park. While other boys and their dads were playing catch and flying kites, they were paying the fun game of observe people and guess their secrets. Henry pointed to a couple walking past them holding hands. "What can you tell me about them?" Henry asked." Shawn thought. " I don't think she loves him. She keeps looking at that guy who's jogging. And he looks kind of bored." Shawn looked at his dad and asked about something that has been on his mind for a while.

" What if I decide I don't want to be cop"

"Don't talk silly, of course you'll be on the force someday. "

" What if I want to be rock star or a basball player or something"

" You can't sing and you're not good at playing basball"

"What if I want to to try doing a bunch of other jobs so I can find out what I"m good at."

"It's your destiny, kid. Just wait until you grow up, You'll see that I'm right. "

Shawn sighed and began to think about his future being planned for for him instead of getting to decide for himself. . The lesson he learned was if all possible , stay a kid, never grow up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Shawn was eighteen years old, he sat on the floor of a jail cell scrunched into a corner hugging his drawn up knees rocking back and forth. The rhythm of the rocking matched the rhythm of the words boucning back and forth in his head. "Why? Why did he do this to me ? Not bad. Not a criminal. Shouldn't be here. Not a criminal. His own son. Why? He hates me. He's a cop. Cop's arrest bad people. I'm not bad. Why?" The other prisoners in the cell walked around him and avoded talking to him and even looking at him. He had spent most of the night rocking crying and mumbling to himself. When breakfast and been bought in a while ago, he had not eaten or even seemed to notice .Foot steps sounded down the hall and a guard peed into the cell looking for the prisoner who now had a vistor. Shawn continuing rocking to his thoughts. "Why ? I'm not bad. I'm here because he's a cop. He hates me. But I'm not bad. He hates me. Maybe I should hate him too. He looked with red rimmed eyes. As he say his dad smiling on the other side of the bars. "Learned your lesson yet kid?"


End file.
